Film-drying appliance



W. A. TAYLOR. FILM DRYING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I9, I920- Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- E W I 2';

W. A. TAYLOR.

FILM DRYING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED JULY I9, 1920.

1 ,407,96 1 Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

,2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 48\ 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM AIKEN TAYLOR, 0F WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

FILM-DRYING- APPLIANCE.

Application filed July 19,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM AIKEN TAY- non, of the city of WVinnipeg,in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Film-Drying Appliances, of which the following isa specification.

The invention relates to film drying appliances and the general objectof the invention is to provide a machine by the use of which aconsiderable quantity of films can be quickly and safely dried and toarrange the appliance so that the films can be easily and quicklyinserted or removed.

A further object is to construct the machine in a simple, light andcompact manner and such that it is unnecessary to employ artificial heator an air blast to effect the drying.

A further object is to arrange the machine so that the individual film'sare in tension when the machine is in use and such that they can bequickly set or removed when loading or unloading the machine.

A further object is to arrange the machine so that it will be balancedwhen the films are inserted.

With the above more important objects in view the invention consistsessentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinaftermore particularly described and later pointed out in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings inwhich Fig. 1is a side view of the complete machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, one side being filled with film and theother side open.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through a part of the machine. v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed side view of one of the roll holders andattached clip.

Fig. 6 is an edge view of the parts appearing in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the film tension wires.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the locking bolts.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified arrangement for holding thefilms.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several figures.

The present practice in drying films is to fasten the films at the topand bottom in an extended fixed position and then apply arti-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 397,499.

ficial heat for drying them or subject them to a hot blast from anelectric fan or such.

like. This operation takes a considerable time to complete the drying.

According to my invention I provide a machine presenting a rotary filmcarrying structure in which the films are suspended under tension andwhich by virtue of its rotation through the air effects the quick, safeand proper drying of the films and without necessitating the use ofheated air or a blast.

In this connection I might mention that with my machine I can dry thefilms in considerably less than half the time which it takes under theolder methods and there is positively no possibility of damaging thefilms.

Referring now to the. drawings: 1 and 2 represent a pair of opposingstandards suitably bolted to the floor and provided at their upper endswith bearings 3 and 4 which receive rotatably a cross shaft 5 suitablyheld against end movement.

Adjoining one of the standards I locate a similar standard 6 presentinga bearing 7. The standard 1 is supplied with a cross bar 8 whichprovides a bearing 9. The bearings 7 and 9 carry rotatablya countershaft10 fitted between the bearings in the present instance withthreediiferent sized driving pulleys 11, 12 and 13. The shaft 5 is alsosupplied with three different sized driving pulleys 14, 15 and 16. Thesepulleys allow of a varying speed drive between the shafts 10 and 5. Inthe present structure the central pulleys 12 and 15 are shown asconnected by a belt 17.

18 is an electric motor of any approved type the driving shaft of whichis fitted with a pulley 19 connected by means of a belt 20 to a pulley21 secured to the shaft 10. Obviously the motor when runningwill eflectthe turning of the shaft 5 at any of the three speeds provided,depending on the setting of the belt 17.

The shaft 5 carries between the standards 1 and 2 a rotary filmsupporting structure which is in reality an open frame work in whlch thefilms to be dried are mounted. The supporting structure is now describedin detail. 7

22 and 23 are a pair of opposing normally upright side bars permanentlysecured centrally of their length to the shaft and they are connected attheir upper and lower ends by connecting bars 24 and 25, the connectingbars and side bars forming an open centered rectangular frame.

28 and 29 which are ositioned at right angles to the bars 22 an 23 andare secured ermanently midway of their length to said.

ars. The cross bars form supports for rectangular open centered gate ordoor like wire carrying frames 30 which are hinged at'the top and bottomat 31 and 32 to the cross bars.

Here it will be observed that there is an equal number of these wirecarrying frames at each side of the central shaft 5 s0 that thestructure is balanced on the-shaft.

In the present instance I have shown two of the wire carrying frames ateach side of the shaft and in referring to Fig. 3 it will be observedthat the inner gate in each instance is hinged to the cross bars 27 and28 whilst the outer gate in each instance is hinged to the cross bars 26and 28. By this arrangement it is possible to open the gates to theposition shown at the left hand side of Fig. 2, such permitting of theeasy insertion of the filmracks as later described.

The gate like frames are normall closed by locking bolts 33 located at te up per free corners of the gates and designed to engage with retainingstraps 24 secured to the cross bars.

Each gate like frame is supplied with'a plurality of spaced taut wires35 which run from the top to the bottom of the frame and these wireseach carry a tension wire 36 which has one and formed into an eye 37slidably mounted on the wire 35 and the other end formed into a hook 38.The arrangement of these tension wires is such that they will lockthemselves against movement on the wires 35, this being by way of arocking and biting action of the eye on the wire 35 in the up swingingof the hooked ends 38.

The connecting bars 24 and 25 are also fitted with spaced verticallydisposed taut wires 39 similar to those designated 35 and also fittedwith tension wires 36.

The upper and lower pairs of cross bars 26 and 27, 28 and 29 are fittedwith opposing pairs of notches 40 which are adapted to receive removablefilm racks 41 which pass across between the bars and have their endsreceived within the notches.

These racks are in the nature ofsquare sticks and the ends of the sticksare prevented from rotating by making a neat fit in the notches. On theracks I mount a plurality of roll holders 42, these being provided withs uare central openings 43 to receive the mo s and each carrying aspring clip 44 at its lower end. The roll holders are also supplied withriders 45 and 46 which ride the top sides of the racks and also serve tospace and interlock the adjacent holders.

I have not considered it necessary to enter held into the details ofthese holders as they are a commercial commodity now on the market andwell known to those familiar with the art.

The holders are adapted to support the films from the racks, each holdercarrying a film, the upper end of the film being can ht by the springclip 44 in each instance. e interlocking riders 45 and 46 serve toprevent the holders from tilting and they also positively space theholders, thereby keeping the films a fixed distance apart.

To the lower end of each film, which is indicated generally'by thereference numeral 47, I attach a second spring clip 48 identical to that44 and here it will be observed that the lower or bottom sprin clips aresupplied with a cross opening 49 a apted to be caught on the hook 38.

In actual practice the racks are filled with films to their capacity andare then inserted in the machine, the gate like wire frame beingpreviously opened. There is a wire 85 (39) in the machine for each filmand the wires are spacedso that when the films are inserted the wiresare directly opposite the films.

After each rack of films is inserted the tension wires 36 are hookedinto the o nings of the clips 48 and then the atten ant pushes down theeye end of the tension wires until the films are pulled tight. sionwires lock themselves on the wires 35 (3;); the eyes biting on thesewires.

The tenre I wish it to be noticed that the pairs i of notches 40 are insay the right hand ends of the bars 26 and 27 and in say the left handends of the bars 28 and 29. By arfill the rotary frame structure byfirst ing the frame structure and putting the second rack in the otherside, this operation of filling at opposite sides being repeated untilall the racks are inserted. After the inner racks have been inserted andthe films drawn taut the inner ate like wire frames are closed one aftert e other and locked, then the other racks are inserted and the outergates are closed and locked.

When the machine is filled the motor is started and the frame structurerotates at whatever speed is selected and the films are quickly andeffectively dried by the air through which they are passed. This way ofdrying films by rotating them in a rotary frame structure is aparticularly quick one and I have found from actual experience that Ican dry the films in considerably less than half the time it takes todry them under older methods where hot air or an air blast is used onstationarily suspended films.

The arrangement of the present machine is particularly convenient asvery little time is lost in filling or emptying the machine andobviously the capacity of the machine is such ranging the notches inthis way one 'canthat a considerable quantity of films can be dried inone operation.

The roll holders herein shown are more or less of a late introduction inthe trade and in establishments where they are not at present used thepractice is to suspend the films on wire rods, the upper ends of thefilms being carried by spring clips slidably mounted on the rods.

In order to accommodate the wire rods I have provided pairs of blocks 50on the cross bars 26 and 27 28 and 29 and adjoining the slots (see Fig.9), the blocks being supplied with small slots adapted to receive theends of the wire rods 51. The spring clips on the rods are indicated at52.

Whilst I have entered into a detailed description of the rotary framestructure itwill be readily understood that I do not wish to be limitedto the recise details shown as these could be readily modified withoutinthe least departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth inthe accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A film drying machine comprising arotatable carrier provided with film securing means engageable withopposite ends of the film stri s to hold the latter taut during rotationo the carrier.

2. A film drying machine com, rising a rotatable carrier, movable gatessupportedby the carrier and .co-operating film securing means carried bysaid gates and carrier.

3. A film drying machine comprising a rotatable carrier, gate frameshinged to said carrier and securing means on the carrier and gate framesarranged to hold the film strips taut during rotation of the carrier.

4. A. film drying machine comprising a rotatable carrier provided withsecuring devices engageable with opposite ends of the film strips, saidsecuring devices being relatively adjustable to place the film stripsunder tension.

5. In a film drying machine, a rotatably mounted and driven open framestructure, film carrying racks demountably carried by the structure andmeans for extending and holding the films extended within the structure.1

6. In a film drying machine, a rotatably mounted and driven open framestructure and film carrying racks demountably carried by the framestructure.

7. In a film drying machine, a rotatably mounted and driven open framestructure, racks demountably carried by the structure, means fordetachably connecting the upper ends of films to the racks and meanscarried by the frame structure for catching the lower ends of theinserted films and holding the inserted films under tension.

8. In a film drying machine, a rotatably mounted and driven open framestructure, said frame structure presenting upper and lower pairs ofopposing cross bars, film carrying racks demountably carried by thecross bars, said films having each one end free and means carried by theframe structure for catching and holding the free ends of the films andmaintaining them under tension whilst in the machine.

9. In a film drying machine, a rotatably mounted and driven open framestructure, said structure presenting upper and lower pairs of opposingspaced cross bars, taut spaced wires earned by the frame structure andpositioned in the space between the cross bars, racks demountablycarried by the cross bars, film holders mounted on the racks andsupporting one end of the films, clips secured to the other ends of thefilms and tension members detachably connected to the latter clips andhaving eyes slidably mounted on the wires.

10. In a film drying machine, a rotatably mounted elevated shaft, meansfor driving the shaft, an open frame structure rotatable with the shaftand presenting upper and lower pairs of spaced cross bars equally spacedfrom the shaft and positioned at right angles'thereto, sets of tautspaced wires extending from the top to the bottom of the frame structurein a location between the cross bars, film carrying racks demountablycarried by the cross bars and positioned such that the free ends of thefilms enter between the sets of wires, clips secured to the free ends ofthe films and a tension wire mounted on each taut wire and'having an eyeslidable on the taut wire and a hook engageablewith the latter clips.

11. In a film drying machine, a rotatably mounted elevated shaft, meansfor driving the shaft, an open frame structure rotatable with the shaftand presenting upper and lower pairs of spaced cross bars equally spacedfrom the shaft and positioned at right angles thereto, open centeredgate like frames hinged to the cross bars and adapted to swing outwardlyparallel to the cross bars, a set of, taut wires carried by each gateand passing from the top of the bottom thereof,

a plurality of rack bars demountably carried by the cross bars, filmholders slidably mounted on the rack bars and carrying films the freeends of which extend between the gates and tension wires detachablysecured to the free ends of the films and operating on the taut wires.

Signed at Winnipeg, Man, this 22nd day of June 1920.

WVILLIAM AIKEN TAYLOR.

